School News

Board chair Gates to speak at RCC Commencement

At Rappahannock Community College’s 38th Commencement, the featured speaker will be Dr. Robert V. Gates, chairman of the RCC College Board.

A native of Fort Lee, Gates has lived in King George since 1970. He was appointed to the RCC Board by the King George County Board of Supervisors in 2003, and is now in his second term.

Dr. Gates’ educational achievements include a bachelor’s degree in physics from Virginia Military Institute, master’s degrees in engineering science from Pennsylvania State University and in political science/public administration from Virginia Tech, and a doctorate in public administration (with a dissertation on the strategic management of Navy laboratories) also from Virginia Tech.

Graduating with distinction from the U.S. Naval War College and from the Executive Development Program of the Federal Executive Institute, he is a member of the national honor societies Phi Alpha Alpha (for public administration) and Phi Kappa Phi, and was appointed to the Federal Senior Executive Service in March 2005.

Currently Dr. Gates serves as technical director (the senior civilian position) at the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Indian Head, Maryland. He also serves on the board of trustees of the L.E. Smoot Memorial Library in King George, and is secretary of the Virginia Chapter of the 8th Air Force Historical Society.

The public is cordially invited to attend the RCC Commencement ceremony, which will be held on Monday, May 10, at 6:30 p.m., on the front lawn at the RCC Warsaw Campus.